I wasn’t expecting the zebra crossing and belisha beacons, but it was good to see traffic regulations being observed - after all, there were a lot of people standing around. It was quite surreal as the production crew carried them into place, creating a scene more like Barnet than Beijing.
There were gasps all around me as the bus transformed into a musical stage for a shimmering Leona Lewis and smiling Jimmy Page, and cheers as the soundtrack soared. 'Greensleeves' has never sounded so funky. And the audience went simply wild as David Beckham emerged on his lift.
As the bus started to move out, there was a final transformation, with twirling, LED-lit umbrellas providing a screen to invite the world to London in 2012.
I’ll never see a number 19 in the same way again.
Flagging down the bus in the Bird's Nest:
The bus transforms:
Performers on top of the London bus:
